samedi 15 août 2015

Need help from chemist - fuel composition

Hi:

A few years ago I damaged a fuel cell because I was using pump gas, which contained ethanol. I tried to switch to aviation gas, but the racing association I'm involved width wouldn't allow it because of the lead content. I checked this week-end and of the 2 last ethanol free pump chains available locally, one is now adding ethanol to its premium gas. The other one (Shell) has all sorts of cleaning additives in its ethanol free gasoline which I am a bit worried of for my fuel cell.

It took me more than a year to convince them that there is a legit and current exemption from Environment Canada that allows leaded fuels to be used in racing vehicles. My intent was to use aviation gas since it has been highly recommended by my fuel cell manufacturer.
Now before I can use aviation gas, I have to convince the racing association of this last detail. They sent me back to try and figure out the composition of aviation gas, and I guess I would be allowed to use it if I can decipher what they tried to formulate in the rule they are enforcing:

A - The fuel used must be based on or patterned after commercially available unleaded pump gasoline, commercially available gasoline/alcohol blends (including M85) ,or commercially available racing gasoline., or commercially available unmodified pump diesel is permitted. Any fuel blend must contain at least fifteen (15) percent medium chain (7 or 8 carbons) aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon compounds and must burn with a visible flame. The addition of benzene or hydrazine is prohibited. The addition of other ketones, alcohol, or aromatic compounds is permitted. The addition of compounds containing nitrogen is prohibited.

I can buy aviation gas freely it seems, I called a few pumps and they have no objections. Even more after I told them it would be used for racing vehicles, which are exempt from the ban on leaded fuel. So to me it appears that the first requirement is met - minus the unleaded part which I am told is about to be waved ("The fuel used must be based on or patterned after commercially available unleaded pump gasoline, commercially available gasoline/alcohol blends (including M85) ,or commercially available racing gasoline").
It is my understanding that the racing association does not object this requirement.

What I am sent back to figure out is this:
"Any fuel blend must contain at least fifteen (15) percent medium chain (7 or 8 carbons) aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon compounds and must burn with a visible flame. The addition of benzene or hydrazine is prohibited. The addition of other ketones, alcohol, or aromatic compounds is permitted. The addition of compounds containing nitrogen is prohibited."

It's been a long time since chemistry classes at the engineering school, it wasn't my specialty/interest either. I Wikipedia-ed and the terms they use in the regulation seem so broad that anything might meet this requirement, including av gas (based on the av gas description in the Wikipedia page).

I would be very grateful is somebody could either confirm (or not) that aviation gasoline falls into the requirement for aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon compounds. And that there's no benzene or hydrazine in av gas.

Regards,
JS


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